Back to results
US 12,059,710 B2Granted
Stacked-package detection system
OwnerMatthew L. Fourneyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stacked-package detection system for a matrix sorter detects stacked packages by comparing weight or dimension measurements on primary sorters from those measurements on secondary sorters. Weight or dimension increases for a package on a secondary sorter indicate a stack of packages. A recirculation system diverts packages identified on the secondary sorters as stacked packages back into bulk flow to be reprocessed by the primary or secondary sorters.
Claims16
A sorting system comprising:
- one or more primary sorters, each including a primary identification and sizing system reading identification marked on packages and measuring package sizes and sorting packages to a plurality of primary destinations according to the identification;
- a plurality of secondary sorters, each including a secondary identification and sizing system reading identification marked on packages and measuring package sizes and sorting the packages to a plurality of secondary destinations according to the identification, wherein some of the secondary destinations are final secondary destinations;
- a primary infeed conveyor line supplying packages to be sorted to the one or more primary sorters;
- a plurality of secondary infeed conveyor lines, each supplying packages to be sorted to a corresponding one of the plurality of secondary sorters;
- wherein at least some of the primary destinations of each of the one or more primary sorters are the plurality of secondary infeed conveyor lines;
- a controller comparing the sizes measured by the primary identification and sizing system for each package to the sizes measured by the secondary identification and sizing system;
- a recirculation system including a first recirculation conveyor as one of the secondary destinations of each of the plurality of secondary sorters configured to convey packages not sorted to final destinations back to the primary infeed conveyor line.
4 more elements
A method for sorting packages in a matrix sorter having one or more primary sorters each feeding packages to a plurality of secondary sorters, the method comprising:
- singulating packages on one or more primary sorters;
- scanning identifications marked on the packages conveyed on the one or more primary sorters;
- measuring the sizes of the packages conveyed on the one or more primary sorters;
- associating the sizes of the packages with the identifications;
- assigning a destination to each of the packages on the one or more primary sorters based on its identification, wherein at least some of the destinations are along a plurality of secondary sorters;
- conveying packages assigned destinations along the plurality of secondary sorters to the plurality of secondary sorters;
- singulating the packages on the plurality of secondary sorters;
- scanning identifications marked on the packages conveyed on the one or more secondary sorters;
- measuring the sizes of the packages conveyed on the plurality of secondary sorters;
- comparing the sizes of the packages as measured on the plurality of secondary sorters with the sizes of the packages on the one or more primary sorters having the same identifications;
- identifying packages whose sizes have changed from the one or more primary sorters to the plurality of secondary sorters by more than a predefined amount as stacked packages;
- recirculating stacked packages from the plurality of secondary sorters back to the one or more primary sorters if any of the stacked packages is identified as having a destination along another secondary sorter.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.